Iron Stars

Level 2: HP roll 2d6 gave 10, HP 8>14 Attack bonus 1>2 4 skill points: Fix, Punch, Survive, Talk -1>0 Focus: Specialist (Pilot) 1>2

The fire crackles in the small living room as the pair of men sit facing each other in recliners, a small table with a large ornate bottle between them. Twangy instrumental music plays as the older man, his hair silvered from some sixty winters, reaches for the bottle and slowly tops up his glass with the murky brown liquid inside. Mac sits opposite him in a relaxed pose, staring down into his glass as he continues the story. "So then one of them gets brought over and stripped down to his britches, and the asshole just shoves him out of the field." The old man gives a a grim expression, but says nothing. "And I swear he made it not a meter out before he got warbled up and vaporized. I'll be damned if the mist or steam or whatnot gets sucked up into the asshole!" The older man's mouth hangs open slightly and he utters a gritty whisper, "What in the actual hell..." Mac sips from his glass and glances lazily at the bottle, working to muster the effort to lean over and pick it up. "I've seen the mages makin' their magic but this was different, we all knew it weren't right, weren't... Natural. Asshole lets us leave, but those two boys stayed and God help 'em they ain't already been done likewise." The older man takes a sip and leans back into the soft cushioning. "So what are you gonna do?"

"What can you do? Sounds like you were taken by surprise. I didn't expect there'd be people or even animals out there. Whole planet's turned into an all souls eve funhouse"

Mac takes a long drink, even briefly debating a second swig after the glass recedes from his face. "Well one thing is for sure we need to be able to go out there without fearin' the air itself. The city gave us some decent tech but them culters for sure had the one up on us, stalkin' the warped ground like they belonged there. I don't know the first thing about how that mess works but tomorrow I'mma head down to R and D and find out what them boys need to make 'er happen."

"It would be a failsafe, certainly. THe resonator here is the only thing keeping the city together. Having a personal copy allows enough time to at least escape"\

Mac finishes off his glass and slides it onto the table. "Yeah, well either way I'll give.. Get it to the uh, the guys." Mac sluggishly forces himself out of the chair, cautiously stepping around the table. "At any rate I'mma head home, big day tomorrow..." He shakes the older man's hand and takes his leave. (Plan is to talk to R&D about personal shield tech.)

R and D is located in a basement of the main city hall, a large structure that is as much academy as it is house of government. The stairs lit by caged elementalist lighting bound in place flicker and dance with shadows but overall remain well lit and safe

Mac's footsteps echo down the hallway as he makes his way down, dressed in his more formal military uniform. In his hand is a compad with some of his personal notes from the ill-fated repair attempt, including his best description of the belt devices he saw in use by the cultists. (He'd be looking for someone in charge of research.)

A doctor with an impressive looking coat is overlooking a scientific lab floor from a high window when you make your way to the bottom level, he turns to face you as the echo from your boots clicks and clacks down the hallway

Mac tips his beret as he approaches. "Howdy Doc, I sent the message about shield tech we saw out in the wilds. I realize my description ain't the most scientific but that's where I'm hopin' you boys can help. We need what they got, and I'm here to help us get whatever we need to get us there."

"Well, you're in luck-sort of. We had a message come in that Ephram and Cathal- from your last adventure, they had some success. They have a couple examples of the belts. The arcane workings of them have been destroyed, but we can get an idea of the materials, and their shape - how they're used, that kind of thing

"Well I'll be damned I thought they would be space dust by now. Alright then, what can I do to help? These things need to be picked up and brought back?"

"They're making a run at the resonator to the west, the other candidate we discussed when first planning that original expedition. They encountered some unfriendly faces you're probably familiar with out there, and once we get word they've done it, we're sending a column out to go secure that village. Meeting them, and ensuring they make it back here with it since they'll be traveling alone, I think would be the best"

"Well I can certainly go with the convoy, sounds like a high priority. Any particular supplies we need to bring 'em?"

"They've got what they need to finish the resonator, and the column is going to be bringing their own food and initial survival gear with them. Once we're confident the area is secure we'll start patrolling the roads, establishing outposts, the like"

"Makes sense to me, well I'll meet up with the convoy as soon as they're ready, and I'll make sure them widgets make it home." Mac gives a salute. (So is this actually waiting on another mission to complete?)

(Yeah its about to, we're on like the second or third to last post)

“The official word is tomorrow morning. You’ll be joined by one of our newest scouts as well, along with the troop element. It sounds like our expedition team met with success and no rockets this time”

"Well that's a step in the right direction. I'll meet them for the trip out, and report back when I return." Mac takes his leave. (Sounds like a small group mission, where to?)

(I will make a thread

Level 3: HP roll 3d6 gave 9, HP 14>15 4 skill points: Exert, Stab -1>0, Fix 0>1

Splitting off into town, there is some commotion from one of the two story homes nearby, as you hear someone shout in alarm and hear the thump of a cutting blade biting into wood

Mac takes a quick detour to investigate the commotion, hand resting on the baton clipped at his waist.

Entering the main doorway in you can see muddy bootprints going up stairs, and they're very fresh. There is another hefty thud as someone falls, and a thump as the bladed object misses again

Realizing that violence is afoot, Mac unsheathes his baton and ascends the stairs double time.

A termie with a gnarled and notched machete stands over a fallen inheritor explorer, on his back and scrambling backwards from the descending blade

Unclear on who the adversary is but clear on what he was going to do about it, Mac lunges into melee.

(termies are basically people who have been exposed to the null fields/wild MES regions but havent died. Think like the crazies from Bird Box)

(Yeah Svenka filled me in on that - Initiative or does he run for it?)

(Alright so heading back with the belts. )

(Yep, do we pick up as a trail back or just zip back to the lab?)

(We can zip back. The route is being patrolled. You’d run across skraa’s construction crew at that farm but if we don’t want to rp there we can head home)

After a significantly less eventful trip back, Mac meets back up with the R&D lead at city hall who tasked him with recovering the generator belts to hand off the hardware, damaged as it was.

They're quickly taken in, assigned to an egghead named Lance to work on, and you're given a substantial 10,000 credit stipend for the good work and relatively speaking good condition of the belts;

15:19

(ive got some ideas for things to do but if you have your own I'd rather get into that

(Are there any leads on Gamma, or any other important bounty-type work that one person could do?)

(theres some crime problems in the city we could try to get a handle on, or we can try to sniff out where gamma and company are hiding out)

Mac checks in with the local law enforcement based on some general reports of increased crime in the city in the past few weeks.

There have been a string of reports of armed robberies, stickups, and some gang violence along the southern wallside neighborhoods, that local authorities have been too swamped to try to get to the bottom of. Southside is one of the poorest neighborhoods inside Dremlas, and gangs tend to openly rule the streets in times of intense resource shortages

Mac gets a few leads on the recent crime from the authorities and brushes up on a map of that part of the city. Changing from his usual Airman uniform into more rugged attire, he sleeps in a bit the next day to head out to that part of town in the evening. (Thinking about just going to hang out at a popular local bar, see what the word is and get a feel for if it's just general dissent/crime or something more organized.)

(Connect/cha and I’ll fill in around the result)

(6)

You get some rumors of dissenters hanging out in the upper floor of a bar near the southern side of the wall , but you get a few different names for where specifically it might be

Mac decides to bar crawl in the area, staying for around an hour at successive places and having a nice slow drink, enjoying himself as much as keeping an eye and ear out for anything suspicious. (Not like he's in some major hurry, so he may as well enjoy himself and take it chill. No idea what drinks cost, anything worth keeping track of?)

(nothing worth troubling yourself or accessing roll20 over)

02:44

There is some interest in the under level of a record shop in the area, underground concerts but the people there getting into more seditious matters once the music stops

(As in I'm there and I see this, or I pick up a rumor about it happening?)

(Rumor that it’s happening )

Mac decides to check out this record shop after one more bar to see when the next concert night is. (Assuming it's open in the evening, probably quite late by the time he's been to a few bars.)

(The shop is open during the day and late. The venue would be open probably word of mouth but you’d assume also late)

Mac enters the record shop and gets a feel for the place, also trying to determine when the next concert is supposed to be held.

THe next one is tonight, and NO PIGS is in bold letters, on the bottom of the leaflet.

(Are there Piggen on Saliv or is this the IRL slang?)

(IRL slang for police)

15:01

(ill show you what i based it off, one sec, gonna take a picture of something in my room)

15:03

15:04

(no pigs would be on the bottom, this is a little different from the poster i have)

Mac takes a moment to read the increasingly small font, resisting the urge to react to it. Deciding he could do with some music, he heads to the concert area to try and find a seat and a drink.

The space is packed. People are wall to wall and the warm up act is playing a medium pace song, trying to build momentum while people get drinks and begin enjoying themselves. The scene is punkish in nature. Most of the Stage trappings are home made or tattered in some way, looking about as haggard as the musicians

Mac gets himself a drink and makes small talk with people in the crowd, even hitting on a couple older ladies as he does his best to not be miserable with the music that really isn't to his taste. (Is it at least decent music, or is the warm up act basically a garage band?)

(Garage band for now, but they're not bad)

14:53

You pass the time pleasantly enough and as the garage band packs up, you see the crowd begin to stir as "Thought Police!" the main event takes the state. Their instruments have road-worn character, as do the musicians. A drummer, base player, main guitar, lead vocalist and keyboard player all take the stage. "Hello Dremlas Underground! We're your main event!" and a guitar chord sets the crowd into a frenzy. "For too long, the government has been lying to you! This next song is about our corrupt establishment!"

Mac resists the urge to roll his eyes and tries to listen to the lyrics of the next song.

A few more songs go by, all with the same anti-establishment message, before it becomes something more serious. "Alright folks, I want to slow it down for a moment, and talk about what's really going on here in Demlas. Your leaders, the bosses, they dont want you to question their authority, they dont want you to leave the city, but I've seen the outside, my brother, my friend, he radiates like gamma waves man, and I know he's coming to free us all. Until then, we need you to keep spreading the good word, and to stay strong" He struts his guitar, for the final song of the night, a face melting power ballad about the injustice of city life

Mac curses under his breath, trying to keep his cool with the knowledge he's gained. (For context, what's the socioeconomic situation like in Dremlas - Is there a large repressed lower class or heavy government censorship or something? Or does talk of needing to be 'freed' seem senseless to Mac?)

(People are fed up with the government not acting all this time and essentially keeping people trapped within the city, and everyone's dealing with some level of resource scarcity- though it is disproportionately hurting the labor class)

(I thought the government directed us to go out to set up the tower, and establish outside bases? What have people been wanting them to do that they haven't been?)

(People wanted them to do it a lot sooner)

06:11

(Someone is preying on the general public being uneducated about the situation. Like playing on fears

Mac waits until the end of the concert, hoping to catch a moment to talk with the singer. (Not sure if there's like a meet & greet or not, if they just leave right after playing the last song then I'll think of something else.)

(there would be,w as moving us in that direction)

"So you've been outside, really? What's it like out there?"

He smiles widely "Of course I have! Seen the sun and everything! and the trees! even water!"

(Wasn't it super trashy outside, low visibility? Or was that just where we were at?)

(yeah it was, hes lying)

"The sun... It's been so long. Is there a way I can see it too?"

“Just look up once you take the under wall tunnel my friend. You know what?” He says, turning away and making a mighty snuff. “Fuck it dude I’m gonna show ya”

Mac is genuinely a bit excited. "Hell yeah, let's do it!"

He dismisses the roadies and the groupies and you and the band mates leave out the back of the venue. They don’t have instruments or anything now. They’re just a normal group of folks out for a night walk, heading toward the wall.

20:49

A small pumping station is your destination, pipes running into the city from water sources abroad.

Mac follows along, taking careful note of the location. (How big is this facility, like a small thing or major city supply point?)

(Small thing, like emergency flood control)

(Gotcha, Mac keeps following along.)

The pumping station is quiet and he rigs the lock with the ease of someone who’s for the knack for it. He’s probably done it dozens of times. “Ah alright. We are here. Once we are inside we will need to be quiet. You’re about to meet our contact and messenger of the world outside”

Mac just nods and gives the classic thumbs up.

There is a single bang on one of the grates in the ground, and fingers curl around it. The death masked face of Brother Gamma emerges, along with a bodyguard. “Magister Harrock. Who’s this you brought with you?” He says as he finishes getting through the grate and into a sitting position next to it, offering an arm down for his body man. “Something about him is familiar “

(... Fuck. I did not expect this. So as a recap I obviously wouldn't have my rifle, is the stun baton something that could realistically been concealed in civilian clothes or would I be unarmed? I think you already clarified that the band folks are unarmed, any indication of if Gamma or his crony are armed?)

(Yeah I think they’re collapsible so you’d have the baton on you for sure. The band folks aren’t armed at all. Gamma if he is has it concealed , and his crony being pulled up had a laser rifle but it would be considered stowed since he’s climbing)

05:28

(The band folks are civilians and probably wouldn’t stick around for actual fighting )

(Off the top of my head there are three other approaches Selgar would try to avoid violence, but I'm not playing Selgar so I'll let RNGsus take the wheel.) Mac's eyes narrow as the devil himself rises from the hole, and in a split second he decides that swift action is his only chance to make it out of here alive. "You son of a BITCH!" He retrieves his stowed baton which telescopes into full length as he lunges for Gamma. (I think it's a main action to retrieve it so don't think I could do anything else before initiative starts.)

(If it was stowed and not readied and you don’t have the armsman foci it’s a full main action)

14:55

(8 for gamma)

(6)

Gamma is only able to move to his feet and draw the small advanced knife he carried as a holdout weapon. His bodyguard is at the top of the hole still unable to make his way up

22:55

(Main to ready a weapon. Move to stand)

22:55

The band members begin fleeing at the sight of weapons being drawn

Mac swings his baton at the embodiment of chaos before him. (Going for Gamma, 12 for 9 damage or shock 2 for AC 15 or less.)

There is a flare of static, as Brother Gamma rolls through the blow ,smoke rising from his robes. He holds up a single finger to his lips. "Sssssh" and the other hand springs forward, plunging the knife into your side (21/4 Shock 2 AC 13 or less)

Leaning to his other side to mitigate some of the damage from the stab, Mac swings the baton back at Gamma. (19 for 5.)

Gamma rocks backward and tries to shake off some of the stun energy. You can see he’s a bit unsteady on his feet after that , but presses on , the blade cutting a slash down through the air toward your chest (22/6)

(Does the bodyguard take a turn?)

(He would just be getting to the top of the ladder. )

03:16

(Main action and move would be to finish climbing and stand up)

Mac staggers back from the deep wound in his chest, as blood sprays out of him. He clumsily swings his baton as he desperately tries to regain his footing. (6 to hit, 2 shock AC <16)

Brother gamma is panting heavily , likewise injured. Unable to get a clean shot the bodyguard is forced to club up his weapon to use as an improvised bludgeon (main action. ) Gamma’s attack misses, the knife over extending from his arm and going wide of you (Didn’t even break double digits for his hit roll, and your armor is better than his shock would hurt )

Desperation weighing heavily on him, Mac is at this point fighting for his life, weaving block attempts in with faster, less precise strikes. (11 to hit so probably the 2 shock again.)

The blow knocks part of the golden death mask away, revealing a beaten looking human face under it, a nose broken from too many fights gone wrong, an eye somewhat clouded with the first stages of concussion from this fight. He is, despite the finery and pomp, a man. (The guard misses with the -4 penalty, and the weapon doesnt do shock to your AC) Brother Gamma's bodyguard clumsily lays into the fight, missing you entirely, and your weaving dodge has you wide around the plunging blade of Brother Gamma, who also misses

Running on pure adrenaline and rasping for breath, Mac almost blindly swings his baton, his body thrashing. (9 to hit, another 2 shock.)

Gamma is wounded, badly. He's having a hard time keeping hold of the knife, and his bodyguard moves to try to screen him, but the blow misses (2, no shock) The knife is thrown (21/1) , from the somewhat safer position of the corner of the room

(Position wise do I have any way to get at Gamma, or I need to beat down the guard first now?)

(you could still get him, bodyguard would have needed to make his attack roll to screen successfully)

Mac switches his attention to the guard blocking his path, a fire in his eyes as he swings. (9 to hit, 2 shock. As long as Gamma isn't scampering off may as well go for the armed person.)

(we are a trio of cobras in a shoebox right now)

20:58

The guard rocks back, his rifle a poor weapon in the close confines of the space. He tosses it aside, opting for fists. (20/2 for unarmed attack)

20:59

(non crit 20)

Mac takes a punch to the gut like a champ, groaning as he staggers back a bit, but still fighting. (17 for 4 damage, this is an epic slog win or lose, brutal.)

(Sorry I wasn't clear, the last two attacks were both against the guard who is standing in the way.)

(you were clear i just was not)

22:41

The bodyguard is in as bad shape as Gamma is, though his swing is wide, (7) , his system struggling to handle the repeated blows of the shock baton

22:42

Gamma is just as ineffective, trying to pile into the fighting and doing nothing more than breaking the melee up (6 to hit)

Spending his energy attacking rather than defending, Mac tries to beat back the bodyguard. (18 for 6)

He falls, the blow crowning him on the temple. His body goes rigid and he's lost bowel control, leaving you squared off with a wounded gamma who launches at you, trying to disarm you. (14, which hits so its a contested exert/str, but you get a +3 as the defender, Gamma got a 6) (edited)

(So if I read it right the check is based on the weapon skill, like their example is Punch for the attacker and I presume Shoot for the defender. Is Exert a house rule? It doesn't matter in this case since my Exert and Shoot are the same - got a 7. Also the stun baton can't kill so the bodyguard is just KO'd.)

(i thought it was exert. Yeah its 10 minutes though so combat will be long over one way or another by time hes important again)

00:02

You're able to keep your hands on the weapon despite the feverish grasp of the wounded cult icon.

Taking advantage of the clumsy attempt to disarm him, which admittedly nearly succeeded, Mac continues his unrelenting assault. (11 to hit, 2 shock.)

Gamma is dealt a considerable grazing blow, and falls to his knees, blacking out slumped over your shoulder

Mac grabs the laser rifle and slings it over his shoulder. He then tries to drag Gamma outside, and call for help. (It's late at night but figure I can get a patrol or something to help me actually arrest these two.)

Your calls are heard by locals who call to report the noise rather than the fact that you’re calling for help. Three night watchmen show up and realizing what’s happening, that number doubled and then doubles and then doubles again

02:56

Before long close to fifty soldiers are here

After he's sure the pair are detained Mac asks to be taken to the hospital, his blood loss and the waning adrenaline high quickly compromising his ability to stand.

You awaken about a day later, feeling a bit better but with some instrumentation hooked up to you. Flowers from a few of the city offices have been delivered and placed out for you along with a bottle of impossibly old whiskey. Gamma and his handler are presumably in the heaviest custody possible deep within Dremlas

Mac instinctively reaches to his chest to lightly prod the bandaged gash, nodding to himself as he turns to his side and sees the flowers and a couple nice-looking cards. Despite the soreness he leans over towards the table, hand reaching out... To pick up the whiskey bottle and bring it to him. (I think I recover my level in HP per night unless the hospital does something different right? If that's the case I'd probably rest at least 4 days, was down to 2 hp from 15.)

(I believe RAW you can’t recover health at all unless you’ve got a med kit or some way to get long term care, generally a ship or falling back to civilization and medical services . That’s what allows the nighttime recovery. So in this case we would be resting the 4 days, but the situation you emerge to would be about the same. They’re in custody and he’s not talking)

(It looks like that's specifically if you get critically wounded, you're forced into a week/month with medical care. The last paragraph on page 53 indicates that as long as you aren't mortally wounded you regain your hit dice per night of rest.)

(There we go, thank you)

(At any rate, 4 days later.) After finally being discharged from the hospital, Mac barely makes it out the door before he has his compad, checking the news and private channels to see how things went while he was out. (I think there wasn't an actual bounty on Gamma right, just a known bad actor? I guess I'd go back to City Hall for a debrief or something?)

(I figured the group discussion would inform how gamma is handled , and from what we decide there will be the situation when you debrief

(Got it. So with no bounty was there any reward at all for the mission that brought him in, or just the goals I completed related to it?)

(150,000 from Dremlas authorities)

23:16

(sorry about that, got caught up in the other discussion)

Logging stuff: Completed two goals (Gamma for 6, live bounty hunt for 3) Level 3>4 Rolled 4d6 for 18 for HP, new HP 26 Attack bonus 2>3 +4 skill points, spent 3 on Fix 1>2, spent 1 on Heal -1>0 Shopping: Force Pavis (10k) Combat Field Uniform (1k) Spike Thrower (600) Mag Pistol (400) DMR (400) Caustic Rounds x9 (450) Telescoping Pole x3 (30) Instapanel x3 (150) Anti-Tox x3 (300) Healing Powder x4 (100) Medpak x3 (300) Hydros x3 (300) Null x10 (600) Anti-Rad x4 (600) Radpak x3 (150) Rush x10 (700) Crackerjack x10 (600) Bug Juice x10 (500) Captivax x10 (700) Biostasis Seal x2 (1000) Slipsheath (25000)

19:46

Total: 43,880 (Let me know if there's anything there I can't buy, I know I can't yet use some of the drugs but figured while I was in the pharmacy I'd pick them up.)

(everything is available)

(And if I want to mod my gear, is it by the book and it'll take me a few weeks of work to do?)

(its 1 week per fix level for IA characters just like the book. There would be assistants/workshop help available however, so the time would be halved. 3.5 days per fix level required. Pretech costs remain the same, and you'd still benefit from the -1 pretech discount if you have the right level of tinker. not sure if you do)

(No Tinker yet, soon though. Alright well looking at the prices I think I'll wait a bit on modding, need to save up for a ship when that's available. As far as next steps, kind of wanted to set up/buy a storefront in one of the new outcroppings we've secured, how many of those are there and are any to the point where businesses are being set up?)

(Just the one explored town right now , and skraa has secured an outpost on the way to thst town

(How safe is that one explored town considered, are civilians settling it or not yet?)

(The military expedition that met you there when you brought the stability belts back is slowly clearing it. Skraa is setting up outposts along the road so civilian settlers can safely get there on their own soon since there will be small garrisons close to the route )

(Alright, Mac would want to set up a business out there, purchase some infrastructure/land and set up like an inn/tavern type of place. Not sure if a mission can really be made out of that or if it's just a credit investment.)

(It’s up to you. If you wanted have more npcs than a faceless bar man. Ect. Otherwise we can do credits. I like the slice of life idea)

(Well I'm thinking it's almost like one of those things for Mac where he figures one day he'll want to retire a bit away from the big city, and it'd be nice to have his own place like that. I don't know if it's worth having named NPC's if no other PC's may ever even go there, so for now I think just investing the money is enough. Is there a cost for a 'mid-sized rural business' or do I need to like describe it or pick features from a list or something?)

(we can just call it 20k, which going by the holdings list is essentially a floor of an office building sized area. If this bar is split and has rooms above it or something that would all be covered too, just mentioning it so you can see where the scale comes from and 20k doesnt sound too arbitrary)

(Okay yeah that seems reasonable, so going off of the HQ sizes 20k makes sense for a tavern. As far as fluff I'm thinking like the typical D&D tavern, cheap low quality alcohol and decent home-cooked food, nothing fancy for rooms. Basically a small hub to help the community get stabilized and start growing. Not expecting it to make a significant profit, just keep itself running off my initial capital.)

(Yeah holdings are assumed to sustain themselves unless a story thing youd have to resolve crops up,)

(Alright subtracted 20k for that, I just marked it as "Mac's Saloon" on my sheet. Seems like they're just going to interrogate Gamma, so I guess I can do another mission while waiting on ship availability, not like I can really afford a ship yet anyway. Are there any efforts underway to secure any additional warding towers, attack the cultists, or otherwise missions outside the city?)

(Leapfrogging Skra's position, the bulk of her team would be moving to those windmills that were next along the route to establish a base there and the immediate surroundings once the resonator goes up, which will be at or around the tme you get there)

(Alright sounds like I can tag along with that then, would I be able to hitch a ride out there or need to get my own vehicle?)

(You can hitch a ride. There’s some transports going back and forth since there’s people in the town at the end of the route)

(Alright yeah let's go there, see if we can do some good.)

Heading out to the windmills, you can see a repair crew is hard at work getting a resonator running. It's a smaller build than your first mission, but will still clear about five kilometres of land around from this area. the mills are also being repaired slowly, hopefully someday soon to produce flower, or provide power to the small outpost that will serve as a shelter for travelers on the road.

19:52

One of them on the roof of the tallest windmill where its being installed stops smashing his hammer into the roof, to wave hello as the small cargo truck with their most recent set of supplies, and Mac, arrives

Once the truck pulls to a stop Mac hops out, waving back to the worker. "Heard y'all could use a hand, what's the status?"

"Getting ready to fire this thing up! Once we do, tere's going to be a huge tract of land to explore!"

"Good news, I may want to have a look around once she's up and running. Until then, what can I do to help? I can use a wrench if it'll make things go faster, or a gun if we got problems of some other variety."

"How comfortable you feel taking a little trip into the woods once we turn this thing over? Saw some kind of shed or longhouse out there. Too far to go without the resonator being on"

"I could go for a walk, see if there's anything interesting there. Can't imagine anyone livin' out here but... Well, I was wrong about that once already." Mac checks his gear as he waits for the tower to go up. (I still need to update my sheet to reflect all the stuff I bought and mark what's equipped and not, will do that after work.)

(Okay so spending a system strain to key the Slipsheath, what about HP recovery, do you heal any when you level up? Also the Force Pavis says it needs a free hand, how does that work with weapons normally assumed to be two handed like a rifle or shotgun, do you just not have the extra 1 AC while using one of those or is it assumed that you are just deactivating the pavis to fire?)

(HP recovery is your level of HP per night of rest, you get the difference in old/new I think as you level up. The force pavis in IA is an actual shield type device- like a buckler. so if you're using a two handed weapon, you do not get the extra +1 AC. The Galatea council has a belt version so you can use 2h weapons with it for a passive 1 AC) (edited)

(Is there a list somewhere of which weapons are 2H?)

(anything Enc 2)

15:38

(or higher)

(Okay I think I managed to get everything squared away on my sheet, ready to roll.) Mac is squinting at some fine print on the back of a small inhaler around the time the resonator is being warmed up.

There is a shockwave that passes through you as the resonator fires. It's a smaller burst than the massive one you and friends worked on just a few months ago, but the effect is largely the same. The Null haze is pushed 5km back, and you see plants, animals, tree,s and the sky without the oppressive silvery purple filter the world outside Dremlas usually puts on.

Mac gets his things in order and then takes a deep breath before setting out in the direction of the sighted building.

The wooded path seems to diverge, a shorter path through some foothills, and a longer one that is less treacherous, through dense woods.

(Just so we're clear my character's full name is Mac "YOLO" Quillo.) Without a second though, Mac takes the more difficult path through the hills, trying to enjoy the rugged but livable environment now free of the storms.

You see evidence of the passing of goats , and of other small to medium sized creatures. You come to a rock where a ram skull and some of its ribcage has been left to rot, though troublingl you can see a second nub of bone where another head might have been perched once.

20:37

It's otherwise almost entirely bleached clean. There are clear gnaw marks around some of it however

(Does it seem like there's a significant amount of game here such that hunting would be profitable for the city, or is it just the odd critter here and there?)

There seems to be evidence of passing game. There are rub marks on trees, ruts in the ground and piles of dung. A decent web of wildlife seems to exist here

Mac makes a quick note of the coordinates on his compad before continuing on to the location of the shack.

500m you see the first signs of totems. Bones hung in the trees on long cords. Skulls of man and beast on sticks. Small furrows in the ground that look like sigils. They’re fresh

(This look like the cultists marking territory, or is this something different?)

(It’s not typically what you’d see of the cult)

Mac clumsily takes a couple images with his compad, then double checks that his weapons are all set before continuing.

A large scrap wood shack in a clearing at the edge had small puffs of smoke heading skyward.

23:30

There’s nobody outside but you can see a well tended herb patch and more totems

Now that he has clear line of sight to the shack in question, Mac pulls out his binoculars (TL4) and spends a few minutes surveying the site. (What's the construction like, does it look like standard architecture just with poor materials, or does this look like someone built their own house from whatever was around?)

(It’s scrap and ramshackle. Someone grabbing whatever they could find and carry )

14:48

There’s cooking going on inside. You can’t hear voices or even anyone absentmindedly talking to themselves but you do see a shadow block out the light coming in between I’ll fitting boards occasionally as what appears to be a sole occupant moves about the space

Deciding that this was unlikely to be anything other than a personal residence, Mac puts the binoculars away and makes his way closer. Once he's within a reasonable distance he'd call out. "Hello? Peaceful explorin' visitor."

The humming and singing from inside the hut falls silent. You see them shift over toward the door, and are not sure what they're doing inside

Unsure if the inhabitant speaks the language of Dremlas, Mac makes a miserable effort to mimic speech he has heard from travelers in the storms. "Er, holla? Say hapla englies?"

You hear the sound of a back door snapping as the inhabitant decides to make a run for it rather than any of the other ways this could have played out

Mac groans and briskly walks around to the back of the building. (Not expecting to catch someone but maybe at least get a glimpse of them as they run off.)

A woman in filthy furs runs off into the woods. You catch a faint glimpse of dirty hair, greased down rags and a staff made of gnarled wood as the trees and limbs spring back to obscure her flight

Mac rolls his eyes and turns back to the shack, deciding to step inside and look around.

It is no doubt the shack of some kind of wise person, or at least someone crazy enough to think they are one. There are more fetishes under construction on a low work table to the left side of the room. A sunken firepot with a cooking cauldron over it is boiling away. Its either laundry or soup, you can't quite tell. Dried herbs, a pair of dead rabbits, and remnants of scrimshaw are also around the place. A single rough chair, and a rough framed bed made of pine needles, fur and a few scraps of reclaimed fabric complete the space

Mac double checks the time on his compad, then sighs as he checks the cauldron contents. (On closer inspection does it seem like whatever it is is mostly cooked, or still a ways to go?)

A mangled mess of fabric is in the cauldron, with layers of dirt and grease coming off it. This batch is nearly done though to truly be clean it will need more

(Is there any food anywhere in here, besides the dead rabbits?)

(The dried herbs also hanging up if you'd consider that food, otherwise though no, the rabbits were probably her next meal or two)

(Chair look like it could hold me, or iffy?)

(Yeah it could hold you. Probably would creak a little but should be okay)

Mac takes his backpack off and takes a seat in the chair, fishing around for a ration pack to eat lunch and pulling up Dandy Rush on his compad. (Going to chill and wait a couple hours, if this is their residence they probably aren't going to completely abandon it just because some random dude walks up, at least so Mac thinks.)

There is a snap of twigs outside about an hour later after you manage to get through a few levels without power ups. She thinks she is doing an admirable job of concealing herself behind a fallen tree 15m from the clearing , but your training and her lack of it makes her easy to see

Mac scowls at the complete lack of matching sets on his current screen, swearing that the game is rigged to get him to buy stuff. He speaks in a moderate tone as his session is interrupted. "You might wanna come stir this, smells awful ripe."

She’s some breaking sticks as she shifts position but doesn’t seem to be willing to come closer or speak

Mac starts up the next level as he calls out. "Well when you wanna talk I'll be here, but I ain't touchin' that mess you got in the pot, and it ain't my fault if it gets burnt."

She seems to creep a bit closer to the house, stick held low, like a spear and goad in one. There are no words, just wild eyes, as she comes to the back door, a mix of confusion, fear, and concern

As he catches a glimpse of the figure approaching the door, Mac looks up from his compad, speaking in a calm tone. "Come on in, I ain't quite ready to get up out this chair."

She lingers in the door frame and looks like there has not been proper food or an opportunity to wash in quite some time. She keeps the staff low

(Human? How old?)

(Human. With the amount of grime probably looks late 30’s)

Mac looks up from his compad, giving a soft smile. "Hope you don't mind, forgot to take my shoes off."

She says nothing. Keeping her eyes flicking between you and the bubbling pot. She stirs it gently with the back of the stick

Mac eases back into the chair a bit more, but is careful not to lean enough to risk breaking the poor construction. "Can you understand me?"

She shakes her head once for yes, she can

Mac seems to nod in satisfaction. "Well good, then I can talk and you can listen. I'm from Dremlas, a city East of here. We've been tryin' to secure more of the local area, just today we activated a warding tower near here to keep the storms at bay. Someone spotted evidence of someone livin' out this way so I came to check it out. Now obviously we plan to eventually settle this area, but seein' as you're here first I reckon you can help us with that. Or, we can leave you be if you're happy living alone in your..." Mac waves his hand around. "Humble abode."

“Storms. Storms@gone? My family. Gone too “

15:22

She’s having trouble getting her head around some of the words, not needing to have used them in what must be some time

Mac's expression briefly sours a bit, then levels off to neutral a moment later. "... Yeah, the storms are held back by the towers, but a lot of people are gone now. We're trying to make things better, but it ain't easy." He averts his gaze a moment, nodding to himself. "Those of us what's left can't get anyone back, but we can maybe help keep other families together. Maybe one day new families can form, and the storms will just be part of the history books... But we ain't there yet."

"What...what you want..here. with me..?" she asks. She's using some mental muscles she has not used in a long time. (edited)

"As I said we could use help from someone who knows the area to help us settle it, and it might improve your livin' situation a bit to join a new settlement with working water and whatnot. Or if you want, we can just leave you alone. I don't think that's best for you, but that ain't my call."

"I....I would like..water. Warm water, clean clothes. food"

22:49

her tone is getting a bit more level, and the words are coming faster. Cobwebbed mental wheels are beginning to turn

Mac nods. "Yeah if you're hungry now all I got is some goverment tack and what is allegedly cheese, will fill you up but it ain't ma's cookin'. If you wanna go for a bit of a walk we can head to the camp, meet the boys what worked on the tower. I don't think they got runnin' water there yet but would have some better food, probably some clothes. Matter of fact might have some booze too, look like you could use a drink or three."

(talk/cha, at +2)

(11)

“Drink. Yes. Like drink. Love drink. I come with you. Clean clothes. Too?”